School will be letting out soon for the summer and Mainers will be planning vacations, getting ready for summer at camp, and preparing for fishing trips or days at the beach with anticipation of sun and good weather.

Perhaps it would seem more prudent to run an article in the fall for the topic of planning for the heating season, but the reality is proper planning now will save you money and time later. Procrastinators would be well-advised to change their ways, not leaving energy-saving preparations to the last minute. One has to admire the wisdom and work ethic of the old-timers, who cut and split their firewood not just for the coming winter, but also for the winter after that, giving the green wood ample time to dry thoroughly. Good old Yankee planning and preparation goes a long way when preparing your home to be more energy-efficient, meaning more comfort and more money left in your pocketbook.

The Internet offers interesting and informative Web sites to assist with your plan to use less energy in your home. The state of Maine provides solid tips at www.bundlemeup.org. In the governor’s introductory message, he advises Mainers to be good neighbors and check on the elderly, disabled, or folks otherwise susceptible to hypothermia. For low-income residents, there are programs to help with heating costs, such as LIHEAP. Start with the local Community Action Program to see if you qualify for assistance. Community Action Programs also sponsor the governor’s KeepMEWarm program, in which volunteers help those who qualify by placing plastic banking around homes, caulking windows and doors, insulating pipes, applying weather stripping, replacing furnace filters and doing other energy-saving procedures. The Web site includes a worksheet to estimate how much money can be saved by using any or all of the “top 10 energy saving tips.” The savings estimates are based on 700 gallons of heating oil per season at $2.54 per gallon (very close to today’s oil prices).

Adding insulation is often a good investment, starting with the attic and, if possible, the walls and under floors where there is no foundation, such as enclosed porches, etc. For homes being constructed this season, buyers would be wise to investigate the latest in energy-savings technology that might pay dividends in the years ahead.

For those with existing homes, contacting your heating-energy provider to examine your heating plan would be a good idea. It may be the right time to repair or replace that old, clunky, inefficient furnace. Annual furnace inspection and cleaning, replacing air and oil filters, will pay for itself in increased efficiency and safety. Developing a positive, continuing relationship with a heating oil company will also pay dividends in the future. They can assist with planning for your heating year and many have a wide variety of purchasing plans to help save money in the long run. They are knowledgeable about where prices are headed and which payment program might work best for you. These folks are a terrific resource this time of year, much better than when it is 20 degrees below zero. You may need oil immediately, but their phone will be ringing off the hook with other customers in the same boat.

Some customers might benefit from installing an extra oil tank, increasing capacity to more than 500 gallons, to be able to time their purchase to buy larger amounts when the price is more advantageous. For customers buying larger quantities, often the price can be reduced a few more cents per gallon.

As you relax on the beach this summer or fish for the big ones at the lake, remember that all glory is fleeting, and this is particularly true of our fickle Maine weather. Winter is coming.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast Contact for Better Business Inc., Maine’s membership-funded, nonprofit organization and America’s oldest consumer advocacy agency of its kind, established in 1972. For help, write to Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1339, or email consumerhelp@bangordailynews.net.